Dunnet Head lighthouse

Backblip
We set off early to head North for a couple of days.It was overcast when we left but the sky brightened as we headed further up the road. Popped into David’s to give him a controller battery he needed and the replacement hinge from B&Q.
We followed a huge lorry carrying parts of a wind turbine including a big blade which was interesting to watch as it manoeuvred round shape bends. The traffic was stopped coming towards us. It turned off towards Rogart.
We turned off at Brora and went down to the loch. We had to stop as a Farmer moved his sheep from one field to the next.
A short walk down to the waters edge. Some people were paddle boarding across to a small island. Cows sat chewing their cud and one lady was walking her 6 collies.
Next stop was Helmsdale. The main toilets were closed so we had to find the Community Centre which was just down the road and luckily open.
We thought about eating at La Mirage but it was busy so we just got a takeaway from next door. Mike had Scampi and chips and I had sausage and chips, huge portions. We sat and ate them in the car down by the harbour.
Onwards and upwards to Lybster where we watched a fishing boat going out. The fisherman waved and said hello :)
The small cafe and heritage centre has not reopened since Covid.We found out later that the couple running it have retired.
We found a nice cafe at Force of Nature and enjoyed a hot chocolate and shared a piece of flapjack. Some great artwork and we treated ourselves to an embroidered picture of a lighthouse.
We reached our B&B at just gone 4pm, The Auld Post Office in Spittal. We’re staying in the annex, cowparsley cottage, very comfortable and cosy :) The gardens are beautiful and we had a wander round admiring the roses and dahlias.
A beautiful evening too nice to waste so we had a quick look at Thurso and then on to Dunnet head. The sun was just going down and the light fading but we watched puffins returning to their nest with some bobbing about on the water. Plenty of fulmars flying close by with chicks still on their nests.
Dunnet head is the most Northerly part of mainland Britain with great views across to Orkney.The lighthouse is impressive one of the 200 scattered across the coastline of Scotland.
Beautiful light on the way back and the rest of the evening spent watching the Commonwealth games , eating cheese and biscuits :)